Smile Sessions reviews anyone?!

[absinthe_boy]

Mark Linnett seems to have been on an HDCD hobbyhorse since BWPS, as the Classics and Summer Love Songs discs are both HDCDs. I was hoping he'd left it behind for Smile, but it seems not....

The best domestic digital format ever unleashed was/is DVD-Audio but sadly it didn't catch on.

[runnersdialzero]

Mark Linnett seems to have been on an HDCD hobbyhorse since BWPS, as the Classics and Summer Love Songs discs are both HDCDs. I was hoping he'd left it behind for Smile, but it seems not....

The best domestic digital format ever unleashed was/is DVD-Audio but sadly it didn't catch on.

People are too obsessed with iPods and such now. Digital music, lossy formats etc. definitely have their place, I use them often, but I'm not a fan of how people as a whole are going backwards in terms of quality. Between this and the loudness war, people who even expect reasonable sound quality are let down too often

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

My iPod's Volume Limit Is Set To 50%, so that's as high as the "Volume War" Gets for me!

[hypehat]

Mate, you must live in the woods or something. How do you even hear your music?

[Shady]

He must have those "Beats By Dre"

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

He must have those "Beats By Dre"

I have perfect hearing, but I actually have some kind of ear-muscle disorder where they don't tighten all the way, so I hear even louder.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

A rather sniffy review in WORD magazine. Claims that SMiLE is of a lesser quality to Pet Sounds and the Beatles albums of the time. It also says that a lot of SMiLE is filler, or words to that effect, stating that apart from Wonderful and Surf's Up nothing else on SMiLE comes close to Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains. Personally I think all of the above is garbage - SMiLE is infinitely superior to Sgt Pepper - but each to their own I suppose... Not a big fan of Word magazine anyway.
Looking forward to next issue of MOJO however. They're generally big supporters of Brian and the Beach Boys so hopefully SMiLE will get a cover, feature, interesting review, etc. 

[John Stivaktas]

OK, my initial review:

It's really, really good. Except for "Teeter-Totter Love". Which sucks.

Ok, I'm convinced.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

He must have those "Beats By Dre"

I have perfect hearing, but I actually have some kind of ear-muscle disorder where they don't tighten all the way, so I hear even louder.

And there's your punk band name right there.

[Mark H.]

A rather sniffy review in WORD magazine. Claims that SMiLE is of a lesser quality to Pet Sounds and the Beatles albums of the time. It also says that a lot of SMiLE is filler, or words to that effect, stating that apart from Wonderful and Surf's Up nothing else on SMiLE comes close to Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains. Personally I think all of the above is garbage - SMiLE is infinitely superior to Sgt Pepper - but each to their own I suppose... Not a big fan of Word magazine anyway.
Looking forward to next issue of MOJO however. They're generally big supporters of Brian and the Beach Boys so hopefully SMiLE will get a cover, feature, interesting review, etc. 

You may prefer SMilE but I can't say it's "infintely superior" to Pepper.  By virtue of the fact that Pepper was completed and released as a tramsformational work speaks for itself.

To the casual listener I can certainly see that much of SMiLE does sound like filler - there's lot's of vocals incomplete or missing entirely or relatively esoteric instrumental tracks.  When I listen to SMiLE - part of my brain is trying to fill in the missing links - non fans can't even begin to go there.  In the end, SMiLE garnered substantial mystique from being unreleased for so long - ironically it does live up to the hype.

[The Shift]

… ironically it does live up to the hype.

And therein lies much of the magic. That's why we're all still here, on this board.

Expect the Sunday papers in the UK will go a bundle on the album this weekend or next (hopefully next).

[Austin]

It also says that a lot of SMiLE is filler, or words to that effect, stating that apart from Wonderful and Surf's Up nothing else on SMiLE comes close to Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains.

Well, I wouldn't call it filler, but I don't think it's outrageous to say Wonderful, Surf's Up, Good Vibrations, and Heroes and Villains are the best songs on the album, and arguably the most accessible. I don't listen to anything else unless I'm listening to some version of the album in full.

That an incomplete approximation from a box set of sessions doesn't hold up against a finished and long-critically-acclaimed album is neither unfair nor surprising.

[sidewinder572]

ok so far we've got 5/5 from Uncut and 9/10 from Classic Rock.

Average score do far 4.5/5

Oh Yeah! 

[egon spengler]

It also says that a lot of SMiLE is filler, or words to that effect, stating that apart from Wonderful and Surf's Up nothing else on SMiLE comes close to Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains.

Well, I wouldn't call it filler, but I don't think it's outrageous to say Wonderful, Surf's Up, Good Vibrations, and Heroes and Villains are the best songs on the album, and arguably the most accessible. I don't listen to anything else unless I'm listening to some version of the album in full.

That an incomplete approximation from a box set of sessions doesn't hold up against a finished and long-critically-acclaimed album is neither unfair nor surprising.

Not a fan of Cabin Essence? That's one of my go-to tracks without a doubt.

[Austin]

Not a fan of Cabin Essence? That's one of my go-to tracks without a doubt.

I am, but it's just the same reason I don't play "Here Today" without listening to Pet Sounds -- great song, but I don't enjoy it as much standalone.

Here's a question. If Sgt. Pepper is the most critically-acclaimed album ever, why are so few of its tracks hits, or selections you'd find on a compilation? Some tracks just work better in a suite or sequence. I've always enjoyed the sum of Smile more than its parts.

[pixletwin]

Not a fan of Cabin Essence? That's one of my go-to tracks without a doubt.

I am, but it's just the same reason I don't play "Here Today" without listening to Pet Sounds -- great song, but I don't enjoy it as much standalone.

Here's a question. If Sgt. Pepper is the most critically-acclaimed album ever, why are so few of its tracks hits, or selections you'd find on a compilation? Some tracks just work better in a suite or sequence. I've always enjoyed the sum of Smile more than its parts.

The Beatles didn't release any of the Pepper tracks as singles. That may be your answer.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Yeah, the Beatles aren't cheap, they don't include singles on albums like even the almighty "Boys Of The Beach" did.

[drbeachboy]

Yeah, the Beatles aren't cheap, they don't include singles on albums like even the almighty "Boys Of The Beach" did.

That's "Les Garcons De La Plage", and hits on an album is the American Capitol-istic Way.

[Austin]

The Beatles didn't release any of the Pepper tracks as singles. That may be your answer.

Sure, but many Beatles compilations have album tracks on them.

[Bicyclerider]

It also says that a lot of SMiLE is filler, or words to that effect, stating that apart from Wonderful and Surf's Up nothing else on SMiLE comes close to Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains.

Well, I wouldn't call it filler, but I don't think it's outrageous to say Wonderful, Surf's Up, Good Vibrations, and Heroes and Villains are the best songs on the album, and arguably the most accessible. I don't listen to anything else unless I'm listening to some version of the album in full.

That an incomplete approximation from a box set of sessions doesn't hold up against a finished and long-critically-acclaimed album is neither unfair nor surprising.

Not a fan of Cabin Essence? That's one of my go-to tracks without a doubt.

I agree - to me Cabinessence is one of the only tracks that completely fulfills the promise of Smile - weird Americana with strange instruments, different sections, the mysterious Truck Drivin' Man, the melodic beauty of Grand Coulee which then merges into the Iron Horse - it's innovative, brilliant, funny ("doing doing") and strange, all at the same time.

Heroes, much as I've grown to like it, was always a let down after the big build up as the followup to GV.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

I find it dunny how the artwork used in Classic Rock is the Purple Chick one, with the purple 'Full Dimentional Stereo'

[runnersdialzero]

"Cabinessence" rarely gets the praise it deserves.

[Jimmie_R]

http://www.examiner.com/beach-boys-in-national/the-beach-boys-smile-review

[homeontherange]

http://theorangepress.net/2011/10/review-beach-boys-%E2%80%93-the-smile-sessions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=review-beach-boys-%25e2%2580%2593-the-smile-sessions

[Wrightfan]

http://www.examiner.com/beach-boys-in-national/the-beach-boys-smile-review

I was actually debating recently whether to start with disc 5 or not. Think I will now and then move to 1-4.